by Jamee Larson
The Festival of Trees:
Across the United States, many non-profit organizations coordinate an annual Holiday event designed for the whole family. Known as the Festival of Trees, this event brings the community together to provide Christmas trees for families and helps provide financial support for the organizing non-profit. For the past twelve years, Fraser, Ltd. has provided needy families with a fully decorated Christmas tree, enabling those families to experience the magic of Christmas first-hand. The 13th annual Festival of Trees is currently underway. 155 decorated trees will be on display at the Fargodome until December 6th, when they will be distributed to area families. The public is welcome to check out the trees during normal Fargodome business hours or during special events. “It’s like a mini-winter wonderland,” explained Barb Grabar, Marketing and Special Events Administrator at Fraser.
Each tree displayed during the Festival of Trees has been sponsored by a local business, service club, family, or individual. Trees are then decorated by the sponsor, resulting in a wide array of unique trees. Grabar, for instance, sponsors a tree in memory of her mother and father. She has been involved in the Festival of Trees since its inception in 2000. “It’s a way for the community to get involved,” she said.
The trees are distributed through local social service agencies to needy families. According to Grabar, the trees displayed in this year’s festival are already spoken for. Examples of needy families that have received past trees include a single woman in her 50s who adopted her 10-month-old granddaughter and a 21-year-old single mother and her 20-month-old daughter. Over the past twelve years, 1,569 trees have been distributed thanks to the generosity of 667 sponsors and decorators. “It takes a lot of community volunteers to organize and carry out,” Grabar said.
Cookies with the Claus Family:
“Cookies with the Claus Family” is the signature event during the Festival of Trees. The free event will take place on November 29 from 1:00 – 4:00pm at the Fargodome. The event features sleight rides, a magician performance at 2:00pm, balloon animals, inflatable games, an ornament art project that kids can take home, cookie decorating, and of course, pictures with the Claus Family. One free Santa photo will be provided for each family. “It’s a really fun, free event,” Grabar explained. “A way for everyone to get into the holiday spirit.”
Who is Fraser Unlimited:
This year Fraser, Ltd. is celebrating 120 years of service. The organization’s mission is “Supporting children, youth, and adults on their life’s journey towards independence.” The dedicated and caring staff served over 1,100 individuals last year in three major programs:
Children’s Services: The Child Care Center is a licensed facility for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years of age. Approximately 25% of the 189 children served in the center have an indication of a special need. The Center provides a safe and healthy environment in an inclusive setting in which children with special needs and typically developing children learn and grow together.
Transitional Youth Services: Fraser, Ltd. has two unique youth programs, Stepping Stones Resource Center and the Transitional Living/Emergency Shelter Program. The program serves youth age 16-26 that are homeless or at-risk of being homeless. Fraser provides basic needs, life skills education, shelter and housing options, along with other programming areas.
Adult Services: The adult services focus on the needs of those 18 and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Fraser, Ltd. currently has 9 licensed and accredited residential homes.
Everyone should have the opportunity to open presents next to a beautiful, twinkling Christmas tree. Sometimes, however, hard financial choices need to be made and purchasing a tree just isn’t possible. Thanks to local organizations and families, 155 families will be able to share in the magic of the Christmas tree. The difference that one gift can have on a Christmas is immeasurable. “The beautiful tree brightened our holiday,” said a 2012 tree recipient.
Everyone deserves a bright Christmas. Anyone interested in becoming part of next year’s Festival of Trees can contact Fraser, Ltd. at 701-232-3301 or visit www.fraserltd.org. There are also numerous volunteer opportunities available throughout the year.
